Sheryl Crow performs on NBC’s ‘Today’ at Rockefeller Plaza on Aug. 1 in New York City. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images)

“I hope people wake up and emotionally engage in issues,” Crow told The Associated Press in a telephone interview during a visit to Los Angeles.

Crow’s giveaway is a kickoff to Rock the Vote’s voter registration drive. She’s using her music as the carrot for people who just log on to the Rock the Vote Web site or those who join the group’s mailing list, offering a free download of the single “Gasoline,” said the organization’s executive director Heather Smith.

The Grammy Award-winning Crow, 46, was one of the founding artists of Rock the Vote 18 years ago. Crow told the AP more musicians should use their music to promote issues that affect Americans. She said she was inspired by pop musicians from the 1960s and ’70s, when political songs were performed by Edwin Starr, Buffalo Springfield, Marvin Gaye and Peter Paul & Mary.

“There was healthy competition among artists to create art that was commercial and political at the same time,” Crow said. “Our music (now) is not representing the times – at least not socially and politically. Or maybe we’re just distracted.”

Rock the Vote aims to register 2 million young people to vote by November – the largest youth voter drive in history by three times, Smith said.